AN eye surgeon working at a Guildford clinic, who damaged a children’s author’s vision, will continue to practise despite being found guilty of misconduct.

Jan Fearnley, 41, had gone to the London Road clinic of Ultralase for an operation to cure her shortsightedness. However, a General Medical Council (GMC) hearing was told opthalmologist Dr Haralabos Eleftheriadis began “fumbling” during the procedure and left Mrs Fearnley with blurred vision.

The council heard Dr Eleftheriadis breached recognised guidance in using equipment for creating suction around the eye more than once after a failed attempt.

The professional standards body was told this resulted in swelling to Mrs Fearnley’s left eye and also tore her cornea.

Dr Eleftheriadis’ fitness to practise was impaired because of his misconduct, the GMC ruled, as his actions were “inappropriate, unprofessional and not in Mrs Fearnley’s best interests”.

However, the council did not suspend his registration as a doctor but agreed to a set of undertakings Dr Eleftheriadis would abide by. These include him attending the European Society of Cataract Surgery’s conference in Stockholm, Sweden in September.

“The panel did consider whether the nature of your misconduct was so serious as to require a sanction to maintain public confidence,” chairman of the GMC’s fitness to practise panel Ralph Bergmann told the doctor.

“It notes that the findings of impairment is, in itself, a very significant blot on your medical career.

“That finding remains upon your record indefinitely.”

The doctor has also agreed to be supervised during no less than 20 procedures to cure shortsightedness during the next three months.

He will also be watched over by a consultant opthamologist when working within the NHS.

“The panel is confident you do not pose a risk to patients by repeating the misconduct which resulted in this hearing and that you have learned from this experience,” Mr Bergmann added in ruling on the case last Friday. “Any breach of undertakings would be considered a matter of misconduct and could be referred to a fitness to practise panel.”

Mrs Fearnley, shortlisted for a Blue Peter award for her book Mr Wolf’s Pancakes, underwent further operations to correct the damage. Despite this, she told the GMC during the hearing she still had blurred vision and sees double when reading.

Mrs Fearnley, of Kingston, South West London, told the council about her experience under Dr Eleftheriadis’ care.

“There seemed to be a bit of fumbling and something was put on my eye, then taken off,” she explained.

“I remember thinking ‘this isn’t right’. It was awful because I had to lie very still and not speak but I was aware of this fumbling. There was just silence and a bit more fumbling about then the equipment was taken off my eye.”

Dr Eleftheriadis, who now works in Southend, Essex, had denied his conduct had been inappropriate, unprofessional and not in Mrs Fearnley’s best interests.